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Feeding the Body and Soul at Emmanuel College
Food plays an important role in many religions, from the halal principles of Islam, breaking bread in Christianity to the vegetarianism practised by many Buddhists. Eating communally, especially during significant religious occasions, can be a meaningful way of sharing faith.
Two religious organizations recently celebrated their expanding ties with Emmanuel College by sponsoring community meals for the Lunar New Year and an Iftar fast-breaking evening meal during Ramadan.
The Buddhist Association of Canada provided a vegetarian buffet on Feb. 14 to mark the announcement of a $50,000 gift endowing the creation of the Venerable Dayi Shi Scholarship, which will be awarded annually to two Emmanuel College students pursuing studies with a Buddhist focus.
“Over the past year, we have had the privilege of engaging with Emmanuel College on many occasions, witnessing how both faculty and students embrace the theory and practice of Buddhist teachings for the betterment of our communities,” Venerable Shi told the gathering.
Emmanuel and the Buddhist College, affiliated with the Buddhist Association of Canada, also announced the launch of a joint continuing education program called Compassionate Canopy: Practical Buddhist Studies in Canada.
Emmanuel then celebrated the start of the Holy Month of Ramadan at sundown on March 20 with an Iftar meal sponsored by the Islamic Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamaat (ISIJ) of Toronto.
Emmanuel Principal HyeRan Kim-Cragg spoke of the growing relationship between the college and the ISIJ, saying the two groups share a vision of a partnership to support Muslim students and deepen Islamic thought and practices at Emmanuel.
Rizwan Khalfan Vic 9T5, president of ISIJ’s board, spoke about the meaning of Ramadan and his delight at collaborating with Emmanuel.
In another sign of deepening ties, the ISIJ invited Emmanuel to participate in the “God in the Modern World” conference in Toronto in April, which brought together scholars, theologians and thinkers from around the world to explore the evolving role of faith in the 21st century. Some of the scholars visited Emmanuel and held a roundtable conversation with faculty.
Photos: The Buddhist Association of Canada, Shane Finnie
